Happy Birthday Ponyo!
by The.Letter.L
Summary: It has been almost 10 years since Ponyo moved in with Sosuke. It's her 15th birthday today! Fujimoto suggests to marry Sosuke, but this just seems to make their happy little lives into the storm that brought them together.
1. Day 1-Morning

It was the day of Ponyo's 15th birthday. As she woke that morning, she stretched and looked outside her bedroom window, overlooking the beautiful, blue ocean she so dearly loved. It had taken her a few seconds to fully realize, and to wake, that it was her birthday! She grinned ear to ear as she hopped out of her bed swiftly, grabbed one of her brightly colored beach dresses and slipped on a pair of her favorite sandals. The bright red color sandals were a gift from Sosuke last year on her birthday and partially the reason she favored them so much. If it were not for the fact that they can easily be worn out, as learned from previous years of gifted sandals, she would have worn them all them time.

Oh Sosuke, how much she had still loved that boy. Ever since Lisa, Sosuke's mother, took her in all those years ago, Ponyo has fallen in love with Sosuke, and even more ever since. They grew up together, and Sosuke even had to teach Ponyo about life outside the ocean. At this point they were practically best friends, but Ponyo saw beyond that. Sure every now and then they would go on dates to the movies or even to dinner; they even had a reputation at their school of being the 'it' couple. Even Mama Lisa and Papa Koichi saw the love between them. However Sosuke was rather shy about their relationship. He has always been, and that is what Ponyo loved about him. His shy charm, his sensitive ways, his kind heart and his passion for tennis.

Ponyo could get los in her thoughts of Sosuke for hours, until her thoughts were interrupted by some bubbles floating into her window. She smiled even more and went to the window to see her father, as eccentric as ever, pulled up to the edge of the shore in his submarine.

"I will be right down!" she called to him as he waved to her. She very happily ran out of her room, narrowly missing Lisa, who was trying to surprise her with the usual birthday breakfast cake. "Sorry Mama Lisa!" she said to her, and Lisa only smiled.

"Going down to see your father again?" she asked, knowing her father visited every now and then, especially on her birthday.

"Yes ma'am, I will be right back!" she called back as she ran out the door. The warmth of the sun hit her skin as she turned her running toward the beach, heading to her father now standing waiting for her with a beautifully wrapped box. As she ran, the hot sand was kicked up, gently kissing her legs as she came to a slow stop a few feet away from her father. He smiled a very loving and welcoming smiled to her. "...Hi daddy!" she said in a sweet voice, going to hug him tight.

"Hello dearest Ponyo, and happy birthday!" he said to her, hugging back with the small box still in hand "How are you today?" he pulled away gently and looked Ponyo into her deep blue eyes. Ponyo smiled even more when he wished her a happy birthday.

"I am doing really well," she paused to look around. "Where is mom? Is she coming?" Her father frowned a bit and shook his head.

"Afraid not, but she will come to visit you later in the week, but in the meantime," he started, holding out the small box to Ponyo. "She wanted you to have this gift." Ponyo smiled as she gently took the box from her father. She quickly tore off the wrapping paper, then opened the box carefully. Ponyo's eyes lit up from the awe of the beautiful gift. It was a small silver chain, and at the end was two small pearls hugging the larger pearl in the middle. The sun's rays glistened on the pearl's surface as she pulled the necklace out of the box by the chain. Her father smiled. "That is something your mother strung together for you. She misses you dearly and wishes you all the love in the world." with that said, Ponyo swiftly gave him another tight hug.

"I love it, it is so beautiful! Thank you so much!" she said, letting go of him only to place the necklace around her neck. Her father smiled, enjoying how happy she was with her gift. "So, how are you? How is everyone doing?" Ponyo finally asked turning her attention to the ocean. Fojimoto smiled as he spoke.

"Well, your mother is doing well from what I see of her. You know how busy she can be. Your sisters are all grown and off having their own families now..." he started, "Samantha just had a few hundred kids the other day." Ponyo looked back to him.

"No way, for real? Wow...I sure do miss them...well, send them my best wishes and tell them I love and miss them!" she said, then a smug look came across her face. "Also give them all kisses for me!" she giggled, after all, it would take a while considering she had a few hundred sisters. Fujimoto sighed, then folded his arms to her.

"So, where is Sosuke this morning? Did he not want to come and visit?" he asked in a somewhat stern, yet pleased tone. Ponyo rolled her eyes a bit.

"Nothing like that daddy, he must have slept in again. He has been studying really late the past week or so, Mama Lisa lets him get a few more minutes of sleep sometimes." she turned to look at the house, at Sosuke's window to be specific. Her heart really did warm everytime she would think of him. Fujimoto nodded a bit.

"Well, have you given any thought toward marriage?" he bluntly asked. Ponyo's face turned bright red as he head whipped back to look at her father.

"W-What? Me? Sosuke? Marriage? What is with that question all of a sudden?" she asked a bit frantic. It is not like she never imagined a wedding, one on the beach with the sunset behind them, but what brought the subject on? Fujimoto only continued.

"You know most all of your sisters have moved on with their lifes, found mates and had babies and what not. At this rate you might be the last one. So when do you plan on it? You did turn 15 today after all..." he said, cringing a bit. Ponyo was a bit confused, usually her father was trying to keep her in a bubble, both metaphorically and literally. Why did he care about this?

"...what is your game old man?" she asked, Fujimoto huffed a bit when she called him old.

"Look, you have been seeing this boy for 10 years now, you are not getting any younger with him leading you on like this. Why not go ahead and seal the deal? I just want you to be happy Brunnhilde." He used her real name. He never used it unless he was being serious like this. Ponyo was a bit shaken up, looking back to Sosuke's window to see he was just now getting out of bed. He had bed head, and looked like he just rose from the dead. Ponyo thought it was adorable, she smiled. She looked back to her father.

"...I will ask him today at breakfast! I am sure he will love the idea!" she brightened up. Fujimoto smiled a bit, then looked back to the ocean.

"I had better head back...happy birthday dear." he said with a smile before waving back to her "I will come back in about a week." he stated before climbing back on his sub. Ponyo watched him, waving back to him as well.

"BYE DADDY! BE SAFE!" she waved just as fast as she could. She watched as he sunk into the sea, then she spent a few moments staring into the ocean. She was condisdering what he said fully; marriage? She didn't see anything wrong with this and she also didn't see a problem. She grinned real big, turned to the house and began her giddy climb back up to the house. She was humming as she entered the kitchen backdoor, where Lisa was cooking a quick breakfast.

"Good morning birthday girl!" Lisa said in a very happy tune. "Your special cake in on the table!" Ponyo looked to see a special piece of cake at her spot at the table. Ponyo happily hopped into her seat and began to eat her cake.

"Good morning Lisa, thank you for the cake!" she said, casually eating her cake slice. Just then she caught a whif of the breakfast Lisa was cooking. "Fried ham?" she asked. Lisa chuckled and nodded.

"It has always been your favorite, I am not really sure why. It is kinda odd considering...It is your birthday!" Lisa had pulled herself out of her thoughts just in time for Sosuke to into the room. He was still half asleep, and his dress was rather sloppy. Ponyo could not help but giggle.

"Good morning Sosuke~" Ponyo chimed. Sosuke just looked her way and then half smiled.

"Good morning, and happy birthday," he said sitting in his spot at the table.

"Sleep well son?" Lisa asked, not looking away from her cooking.

"I slept alright" he stated while he was yawning. Ponyo's cheeks glow a bit red from blushing, she really did love this boy. This gave her the courage to speak up and ask the big question. She finished her cake and then looked to Sosuke and began to speak before Sosuke spoke up. "Mom, when is dad suppose to get back?" he asked. Lisa turned around with a plate full of ham and gently set it on the table.

"He should be back in 2 or 3 days. That is IF he does not pick up another shift..." she said rather annoyed. Ponyo stopped her question to check the tension, usually when Lisa spoke of her husband working, it was a real touch and go kind of subject. Sosuke seemed rather annoyed with that answer.

"I really need to talk with him." He muttered. Ponyo was curious, but she didn't want to divert from her goal. She began to spoke again but was interrupted again by Lisa this time.

"Ponyo hun, you need to get dressed for school. Why not go get that done quickly?" she asked. Okay, that was true she was still in her sun dress. She pouted a bit and then grabbed a piece of ham for the trip. Oh well, nothing was going to bring Ponyo down! Today was her birthday! She went into her room, and as if it was a dance for her she undressed. She always enjoyed wearing loose clothes, so the thought of her putting on her school uniform make her...cringe. Not as carefree, she slid her skirt up onto her hips, put on and buttoned her shirt, tuck the shirt in, and finally placed her socks over her feet. Oh how the cage was so tight! She walked back into the kitchen and flopped back into her chair. Ponyo grabbed a few pieces of ham and some toasted bread and ate! There was a moment of bliss, where it was just her and Sosuke eating breakfast. Ah, how she loved those moments. The sun shined into the windows, it was very quite and the sounds of the waves crashing over the beach could be heard. This was it, she was going to ask! Ponyo looked over to Sosuke, who was eating and then took in a deep breath.

"Sosuke, I have a question..." she began. Sosuke looked up with an content smiled on his face. Ponyo felt a shiver down her spine and a butterfly in her stomach. "Um...well...you see...I saw my dad this morning and-"

"Oh Fujimoto was here? How is he doing? Sorry I missed him." he said, taking another bite of his food. Ponyo smiled. It seems that is all she ever did when she was around him.

"It's alright, I told him you have been busy studying. We had a very interesting talk today." She spoke a bit rushed. Sosuke just continued to look at her.

"Oh? What about?" He was listening now. Here is goes, she was going to ask the question. Ponyo took in a big breath and then...Lisa came into the room

"Alright, I'm sorry I have to run. I will be home a bit late, but I will be home in time for dinner!" she said grabbing a quick breakfast, then going to give Ponyo and Sosuke a kiss on the head "Happy birthday Ponyo, have a good day at school!" she called back as she rushed out the door. Ponyo sighed and smiled, she really did love Lisa like a mother. Sosuke waved to his mom, then looked back to Ponyo.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?" he asked. Ponyo just sighed.

"Never mind." she said. Sosuke tilted his head, then stood up.

"So, what do you want to do after school? It is your birthday after all, and it is my treat..." he stated as if he was disappointed. Ponyo was confused by his mood, but smiled at his offer.

"I am happy with whatever you want to do Sosuke!" She cheered. Sosuske only laughed a bit.

"No Ponyo, we are going to do what you want to do. It's not about me today...now what do YOU want to do?" he asked again. This was a good chance, so Ponyo smiled.

"...I want to get married..."


	2. Day 1-Evening

The walk to school was a very tense one. Ever since Ponyo mentioned the idea of marriage to Sosuke he has been acting a bit different. For example, usually Sosuke and Ponyo walk closely together on the sidewalk to school. Today, however, Sosuke was walking ahead of Ponyo and never looked back once or even made a peep to her. How strange...was he too baffled to speak? could the idea be causing so much stress on the poor boy? Ponyo simply did not understand. Why would this stress him? They have loved each other since they were 5 years old! They lived and grew up together, and had gotten very close to one another. Why? Ponyo only tried to shake the paranoia lingering in her mind and tried to bring life back into Sosuke by speaking up.

"...um...about the afterschool date...is that still an option?" she asked a bit excited. His current mood did boggle her mind, but it was still the same Sosuke she had come to know and love. He never turned to her and continued to walk forward as he answered back to her.

"Uh, yeah. It is still your birthday. It's the least I can do since I don't have anything to present to you." his voice was a bit shaky, yet had an unsettling calm about it. See? There, Ponyo was worried over nothing. After his reaction he had back in the kitchen regarding the question, she was worried he would be just as frustrated as he was then. Ponyo smiled brightly and then went to wrap her arm around his very softly. In a very sudden motion Sosuke jerked away from her. "Please don't...I'm not much on the mood." he stated and rushed even more forward and away than he could have. This made Ponyo feel as if there was a sudden void in her heart. The distance between her and Sosuke had some how come into fruition ever since...the mistake. The question was now referred to as a mistake and she only clutched her arm together and held them close to her. He has never been like this with her before. Sure they fought every now and then, and even would disagree about things. Even they had their bad days and were grouchy or short with one another, but this was different. Ponyo's footsteps became slower, as much as she wanted to rush to his side, her instinct told her to stay away. At least until things cool off.

~+~Lunch Break~+~

Ponyo stretched at her desk and then leaned down to fetch the lunch mama Lisa made for her. She unwrapped the cloth to show there were 2 lunch boxes, one for Ponyo and one for Sosuke. Ponyo's gaze once again turned to Sosuke for the 100th time, or that is at least what it felt like. She slowly removed his blue box from her orange box and then turned to stand when she noticed a few girls coming up to Sosuke. They seem to do this every chance they get, let alone at lunch break. Ponyo always felt a twinge of jealousy when they did this, however today was her birthday and nothing could or would spoil it for her! She stood up and walked to Sosuke's desk confidently until the girls watched her come to the desk. So without a word, Ponyo simply slid the box onto his desk and then went back to hers to eat. She would occasionally look up to see Sosuke smile or laugh with them. If Ponyo was worried about her relationship then she would have gotten up just to make the girls disburse. Ponyo always had difficulties with making friends for some reason. One thing was her hair stood out, making the cruel kids tease her. It followed her to high school, but then the girls would throw that passive aggression training onto her. Girls would always trip her, call her names, and also they would even hide her shoes or rig her shoe locker. None of that mattered to Ponyo, because every time Sosuke would be there to help her up, cheer her up or give her a towel. Sometimes he would even bring her an extra pair of shoes if hers went missing. The thought made her smile and look over yet again to Sosuke. however this time, she was not calm about looking over to him. The girls were flirting with him. Normally this would not make her mad, but this time HE was flirting back. Hot jealously filled her body, and with one swift movement Ponyo would stand up, take her lunch box and leave the room. She would not be quiet about her exit, it was actually quite dramatic. She would rush to the roof and just sit on the ground, her food getting a bit cold from not eating so quickly. What made her loose her cool back there? Was it because she had finally had enough of their senseless flirting, or was it the fact he was doing it? Could it be that she was being defensive about her feelings? Or could it have been that she had doubts. Doubts about her love for Sosuke. Did she have doubts about Sosuke not wanting to marry her? Why? Why would he not...no. She could not even fathom the idea of Sosuke not loving her. She had to calm herself, he loved her...right? Yes, she was sure he would be close behind her any minute now to come and check up on her. Ponyo looked to the door. Any time now, he would come and sit with her, talk to her, reassure her that he didn't mean anything by the flirting. Yes, he would come to the door and sit to have lunch with her on the roof. She would wait for him...and wait...but he never did show. The bell rang for lunch to be over, and she would simply walk back into the building and to her class. Sure enough Sosuke was in his seat, surrounded by girls. Obviously those succubus' kept him from chasing after, that was all. That is what she had hoped anyways.

~+~That Night~+~

Sosuke took Ponyo out for the night, as he promised for her birthday. They had a full night, Ponyo wanted to go to the shopping mall, to the café, to the small fair that was in town. She of course could not really enjoy herself all night because Sosuke had been acting differently. He was more aloof then she had ever seen him acting. Yes, his early years were very rough with him being so shy and distant with people, but this was...different. When it finally came down to sitting down for a special dinner out on the town, Ponyo decided to take this time to talk this through with Sosuke.

"Hey...about what I asked this morning..." She started, looking Soskue in the eyes. On that que, he looked up to her a bit panicked.

"Can we please not talk about...that.." he asked. Ponyo was kind of hurt by the way he treated this topic.

"I just want to talk about it...you know. Have you considered it?" she asked him. Sosuke fiddled a bit with his shirt collar, as he often did when he was nervous, a habit he developed when they were in junior high.

"Ponyo, I really do not want to think about it right now." he said. Ponyo was starting to get a bit angry.

"If not now, then when? Why not now?" she said in a bit more harsher voice than her sweet tone. Sosuke's brows began to furrow.

"Ponyo, we are not going to get married, okay?" he said back to her, in a quiet way. It was as if this statement was an arrow to her heart. He didn't want to get married? This set her off a bit.

"Why not?" she asked, a bit louder. Sosuke began to rub his head a bit.

"Ponyo, enough okay? Can we just eat and go home?" he tried to keep quiet. However, Ponyo was not.

"No Sosuke, what is your problem today? Why don't you want to marry me?" Ponyo spoke even more louder, and Sosuke noticed and leaned forward.

"Ponyo! We are not getting married, end of discussion!" Sosuke spoke clearly, slamming his fist on the table, silencing the restaurant. Ponyo went from rage to sadness. She would sit back in her chair in disbelief about his reaction.

"But...why?" was all she could ask, tears swelling up. Sosuke very calmly rubbing his hair a bit.

"Ponyo, I just don't want to get married, we are very young and have no idea where life is going to take us. We might still have feelings for each other in 5 years, we might not. I do not want to go off and get married so soon alright?" he said. This was the thing that could have killed Ponyo. She just sat there, in terrorized disbelief. What did he mean by that? Did...did he really not love her as much as she loved him?

"I...think I understand. If you will excuse me..." she said with her voice shaking as she stood up and began to leave the restaurant. She could hear Sosuke calling back to her, but she never stopped for him, she didn't want to face him at the moment. By the time he finally caught up to her, he grabbed her arm firmly. She had managed to somehow walk herself to the beach near their home. Ponyo looked at his dead eyed.

"Ponyo, what is the matter with you? I tell you I don't want to get married and you act as if it is the end of the world?" he said. Really? How could this not be the end of the world for him either? All of her life she knew they were to be together and this is how it goes? Ponyo could not bring herself to pull from his grasp, but she only looked down.

"Sosuke, if I...if you do not want to marry me...then maybe you should...go and find a girl you do want to marry..." she spoke very softly. Sosuke's eyes widened and he let her go.

"...Ponyo?" he asked, his hands dropping to his sides. Ponyo could feel her body shaking from all of the agony she was putting herself through, about to say the things she was going to say.

"...maybe...we need to see other people." she said, hugging herself for support. The sun was setting into the ocean, and so was Ponyo and Sosuke's relationship.


	3. Day 3

[Authors Note: I look away from my computer for 5 minutes, and it deletes this while chapter. I spent a considerable about of time on it and was almost done with it and BAM it is all gone! I was very discouraged to find my 4 hours worth of work gone, and I apologize if this chapter lacks. You must understand, I had the juices really flowing and this chapter was gonna be great. If it seems a bit rushed, it is because it will never be as good as I originally wrote it. Sorry!]

It had been a long few days. For Ponyo, it felt like forever since that awful day. She felt a hole in her heart, a void in her soul ever since she left Sosuke on the beach alone. She had a lingering sadness, festering in her body. She had left Sosuke on the beach that day, left for home alone and in the dark. She lived her life in a blur, not holding onto the moment as one should. Ponyo was woken up that morning by the sudden thundering of her alarm clock. Ponyo would slowly and sluggishly reach from her bed to tap her clock, silencing the drilling noise and calming her already throbbing head. As she rolled around under her covers, she noticed an unnatural dampness in her bed. She would suddenly throw the blankets off of her and look to her bed. She was sure she didn't 'wet' her bed. There was no uncomfortable warmth of the wetness, nor the unpleasant smell. Maybe she sweats in her sleep? Who cares. Ponyo would crawl out of her bed and slowly get ready for school. Her uniform was a mess, untucked and rather miss-placed. Her hair had not been brushed since then, so it looked very similar to her father's hair. She grabbed her bags and headed down the stairs to get her breakfast. Ponyo suddenly stopped when she had spotted Sosuke already sitting at the table eating food. Ponyo's heart sank, part of her wished he would just make up for the fight. She wanted Sosuke to cave and bend to her will, or at least make up to Ponyo with one of his sweet, loving gestures like cooking for her or buying her flowers. Until then, things had become painfully awkward. Ponyo would very quickly grab a piece of toast and head to exit. She almost made it to the door before Lisa called out to her.

"Good morning Ponyo," she said with a soft smile on her face. Ponyo could not help but smile to her.

"Good morning," Ponyo said back to her. Lisa turned to her, and then noticed the toast she had.

"...You wont sit down to eat this morning?" Lisa asked. Ponyo would take a second to look at Sosuke, then she looked back to Lisa with a weak smile.

"I am really behind in school, I really need to go in early to try to catch up. Thanks anyways, I will see you after school!" Ponyo stated as she left, closing the door behind her. After a few seconds, Lisa looked to Sosuke, who was just looking down to his food.

"That is the third morning in a row she skipped breakfast. Did something happen when I was not looking?" she asked Sosuke. Sosuke would only play with his food, a look of calmness on his face.

"It is nothing mom...we had a small argument the other day. That is all." he said. Lisa would only sigh and fold her arms.

"An argument huh...that is no good." she said, spinning back to continue to wash the dishes. "...you know the problem with having your first real argument is..." she paused, Sosuke looked up to her a bit curious. "...no one knows how to make up yet. You never fought before, so you don't know how to fix the problem." she said. Sosuke thought for a moment, then he stood up and grabbed his and Ponyo's lunch, his bag and gave his mother a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks mom. See you later." he said as he left out the door. He had to figure out a way to get out of the mess he was in.

~+~Lunch Break~+~

Ponyo forgot her lunch. Great. She would just twirl her hair at her desk as her eyes would drift around the room. This whole morning felt like one long ride of pain. She could not focus on class the entire day, and it was more of a blur for her than anything. Surely her grades were to suffer later on. She was so wound up in he fight with Sosuke that she just wanted this fight to be over. She never even wanted to fight, she just wanted to marry the boy. Was that too much to ask? She saw Sosuke, unpacking 2 lunches. One box was red, it was Ponyo's box! Ponyo could not help but smile, maybe this whole fight was over. All of her feelings of frustration melted away as she watched Soskue look to her and point to the box, almost as if he was inviting her over. Ponyo smiled and began to stand. She knew this storm would blow over and everything would be alright. She took one step toward Sosuke's desk and then she was pushed to the side by some girl. The girl ran up to Sosuke and sat down where Ponyo would have sat.

"Hey Soskue, did you pack an extra lunch? Don't worry! I can help you with that" she said in a flirting way and then would continue to open Ponyo's box. Ponyo's frustration fired back up, this time it flaired more into a white hot rage. Ponyo found herself clinching her fists very tight. With a swift move she quickly turned away and stormed out of the room. She could not even handle the moment or stuck around to see how Sosuke reacted. He probably loved the attention, he might have loved how mad this made her feel. Did he set this up? Was this still the fight? Ponyo rushed to the roof as fast as she could and then just stood there. She felt the wind blow her hair into her face as she just tried to calm herself. What was she going to do now? She could not go back down there. She just stood wondering what was her next action when she heard the door open behind her. She looked back to see Sosuke. Her face twisted into a frown and she started to walk off when he grabbed her arm with a bit of force. She looked back up at his face, which he wore his usual serious face.

"Ponyo, you need to eat. You have mom worried about you." he said yo her with his also usual serious voice. That is when a thought crossed her mind, maybe he was not wanting to make up with her, maybe he just wanted her to be happy...for his mother's sake. Ponyo looked to the ground, saddened by this thought.

"...maybe you should give my lunch to that girl down there, she is very interested in you it seems." she said, slowly and with a sad softness to it. Sosuke's features would become less tense at what she said.

"No, that is your lunch. I told that girl it was yours," he paused to bring the box up into her sight. Ponyo would just casually glance at it and then jerked her hand away. This made Sosuke mad. "What has gotten into you this week? I have never seen you act this way." he stated. Ponyo would fold her arms and face away from him.

"Well I am sorry I am not acting like you wanted." Ponyo stated in a brattish tone. Sosuke sighed.

"Is this whole thing about what...happened on your birthday?" he finally asked. Oh good, he forgot the whole reason Ponyo's heart was slowly breaking. She turned to him in a flash.

"I just don't understand, why was that such a big deal for you? I asked you one question and you went off the deep end!" she said rubbing her hair a bit from stress. Sosuke took a step closer.

"Well excuse me for not wanting to drop everything and get married that second! How did you want me to feel huh?" he struck back. These words stung a bit to Ponyo.

"How about feeling genuinely happy? Most people are happy when that subject comes up!"

"Well not me Ponyo!" Sosuke raised his voice a bit. Ponyo would take a step back at his sudden loudness.

"Why? Why don't you want to get married?" she asked now with a sad ring in her voice.

"...Ponyo that is not the issue here, the issue here is that you refuse to take care of yourself just because you didn't get your way!" Sosuke was avoiding the subject all together. There was not a yield in sight for either of their slowly escalating anger. Ponyo turned back to facing away from him and then just began to walk to the gate on the roof. She would look down to the ground, then she clutched the fence in her hand.

"...you don't want to marry me, and it is obvious why..." she started. "You just don't want to be tied down to me. I am some sort of trap to you, this is how it works." Her words began to fade with her voice.

"What?" Sosuke tried to come in closer. He had a hard time hearing her. Ponyo gripped the fence tighter, and then made sure to speak loud enough for him to hear.

"You don't like me anymore, then why don't you go and date other people." she said. This very sentence made Sosuke's blood boiling.

"...Maybe I will! Maybe I will take someone else to the festival on Friday!" he said, practically yelling. How those words struck Ponyo's heart like arrows. So then it was true, he had not loved her anymore. Her head sunk to ground, and the only thing holding her up was her tight-gripped hand on the fence. The Sea-side Festival was always her favorite thing to go to with Sosuke, ever since they were young. It was a well of over flowing memories for the both of them. As Ponyo turned back to look at Sosuke, she only could see he had set the lunch box on the ground and was welcomed by the coldest part of Sosuke's back as he re-entered the building. Ponyo's heart was suddenly felt with deep regret and stewing jealousy. What had she done?


	4. Day 3-4

[Auhor's note: Ah, sorry if this seemed a bit rushed, I have been working on this chapter for a few days and I just get tired of looking at unfinished things on my laptop...anyways MERRY CHRISTMAS]

It had been a long few days. After the episode on the roof a few days prior, Ponyo had not felt all that well. Sure, heart break was rough on a young teenage girl. Her chest felt like she had been impaled, her heart ached with every beat. She found herself dragging, lugging around like her body was just a a sack of sadness. After the fight, she had went back to class, but could not focus on anything. Her mind had went totally blank, void of any thoughts other than to immediately leave as soon as the bell rang. She went to collect her shoes from her locker, but they went missing yet again. Ponyo normally would have tried to look for her shoes, but she couldn't stand to be in school anymore. She would have to look for them or confront her bullies later. She would just take off her school shoes and leave them in her locker, and walk home bare footed. The walk seemed very long and lonesome. She never exited her daze until she stepped on something. She would cry out in pain and then hop to the nearby wall and sit down to rest herself. She would bend to look under her foot. Great, she managed to step on a shard of glass. How in the world could she had been so careless? She went to wiggle the glass shard out of her foot. She would toss it into the road and then just sat there, watching her blood flow wildly out of the small gash in the bottom of her foot. This made her feel even worse. She was letting her emotions ruin her life. She couldn't even blame Sosuke for her hurt, she could only blame herself. it was her fault for bringing up marriage. It was her fault that he lost interest in her, and it was her fault for being so boring. As she would apply pressure to her foot, her eyes glanced to the side walk to spot wet footprints. There was a trail that followed her tracks, but faded as they dried. Ponyo felt a twinge of unsettled confusion as she stood back up and began to walk again. He steps were a bit hobbled since she never really wrapped up her gash or tried to clean it up. When she turned to see if the steps continued, there were wet prints yet again matching her hobbled steps, even the blood stains. She just ran home as fast as she could.

It was the next morning now, her alarm went off as usual. She flopped over in her bed very slowly and just silenced the noise. Ponyo felt very heavy, as if her sadness and anger were heavy weights draped around her neck. She sluggishly got out of her bed and rolled around to stand up. She went to her mirror to brush her hair, by this point it was just a very messy ball of orange sitting on top of her head. She would attempt to brush it, but it was useless. She only combed it back once, and then very sloppily misplaced her uniform onto her body. She still had no shoes, the pair she lost was her last back up pair after all. She would just look down and examine her feet, trying to plan what to do. She wiggled her toes to see if she gained any feeling in her injured foot, who Lisa kindly cleaned and wrapped for her. Of course she lied when Lisa asked what had happened, only saying she lost her shoes in a fit of her being absent minded. Lisa called Ponyo down for breakfast, she must have been running late for Lisa to cal her. Ponyo would grab her school bag and slip on her beach shoes. He bag seemed extra heavy, but she just dragged it along and tried to make it to the kitchen before she was called again. She staggeringly got there, only to meet Sosuke's gaze. His face was very calm, almost friendly this morning. However Ponyo did not feel the same. His expression went from clam to concern when he looked Ponyo up and down. Ponyo would go and take a seat furthest away from Sosuke.

"Good morning Ponyo, you are running a bit late today huh?" Lisa said in her usual chipper voice. Ponyo would begin to fiddle with the hem of her skirt.

"Yeah...sorry." she spoke in a very soft tone. She spoke so softly, it alerted Lisa that something was wrong. Before Sosuke could say anything, or even ask if Ponyo felt alright, Lisa swooped in and then looked Ponyo up and down as Sosuke did before. Ponyo would look to Lisa a bit concerned.

"Ponyo, are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale." Lisa said, placing her hand on Ponyo's forehead. Ponyo sighed and forced a smile.

"I am feeling alright," she lied. With that Lisa kneeled down to Ponyo's eye level and wore a worried look.

"Honey you have a bit of a fever." she paused to study Ponyo for a bit. "You are not going to school today." she stated. Ponyo was about to get fussy with Lisa, but simply could not find much strength to do so.

"No, I feel fine. I really can go to school." Ponyo had attempted with Sosuke watching all of this unfold as he sat silently. Lisa shook her head and stood back up and went back to make a plate of food for Ponyo.

"Absolutely not. You have caught something, what with you coming home with no shoes on yesterday. I am sure you caught a cold or something." she said as she would gather some things and place them on a serving tray.

"What? What happened to your shoes?" Sosuke asked, with a firm curiosity. Ponyo looked at him for a second and then back down to the table.

"...I...misplaced them." she said even softer than her previous conversation. Sosuke placed his fork down, he was beginning to get serious now.

"Misplaced them hm?" he asked himself, as if he knew what had happened. Ponyo would just turn away. Why would he care about her shoes? He didn't even care for her anymore. When she thought about this, a twinge of pain surged through her head. She grasped her head as to sooth it as Lisa would make Ponyo stand.

"Now you go back to bed and I will bring you back some food alright?" Lisa said in a motherly soft tone. Ponyo was...not going to refuse more. Maybe a sick day would be good for her. Ponyo would reassure herself that this would be a good break from...everything. Ponyo would go back to her room only looking back to Sosuke once as she left. Ponyo would come into her room and slowly put her pajamas back on. What was Ponyo to do now? She knew well that her mind would wonder and she would never fall asleep as fast as she would like to. She crawled into bed and then looked over to her window. Her room overlooked the ocean from her window. Lisa gave her this room when she first moved in years ago. Ponyo enjoyed beign able to look into the blue vastness when she would miss her family or even the sea. She would rest her head on the window sill as she did when she wanted to just watch. Ponyo's head rested on her arms as her eyes scrolled the rolling waves. This, the ocean was always the calming force in her storms. It was a few minutes before she fell asleep, eyes drooping faster than the waves were rolling onto the shore.

She was not really sure how long she slept, but when she woke back up, the sun was beginning to set. Ponyo woke up slowly somehow feeling even worse than she did when she fell asleep. She sat up and noticed a blanket around her and she smiled. Lisa was here. Lisa was way too sweet on the poor girl. Ponyo would attempt to get up from her bed, but it was not successful. Ponyo felt a surge of pain ride up through her chest and then down to her legs. She fell back into her bed, face into pillow. She must have caught something terrible. Ponyo had decided to stay in bed against her wishes and just laid there. She could feel wetness in her clothes and in her bed. How is it possible to sweat this much in a short time? She was beginning to worry, so she would try yet again to get out of her bed. Her ankles were weak and shaky, but she was still able to make it to the door. She would walk down to the living room to see Sosuke quietly doing his homework on the table. She would just silently watch him, taking him in. She could feel a kind warmness in her hear watching him do his schoolwork. His sweet soft black hair glistened in the sunlight. Ponyo was just content with watching him. Then much like a broken dam, the memories of the nasty fight they had flooded into her head again. This caused her a slight pain in her chest, causing her to cough. She lost control of herself and leaned against the wall as she coughed more and louder. When Ponyo's spell was over, she looked up to see Sosuke coming to her.

"Are you feeling alright? What are you doing out of bed?" he asked in a smooth tone. He would gently grab her arm to help her stand up. Ponyo wanted to speak, but what could she say? Ponyo was suddenly light headed and would gently pull away from him to lean on the wall. There was a bit of silence, before he would force his hand and scoop her up. Sosuke took her back to her room. He would set her into the bed and throw the covers over her. All in silence, but it was all in his face. HIs look of disappointment, frustration and concern. Ponyo never said anything or objected to him picking her up and placing her into the bed. Sosuke would just turn to the door and begin to leave. He paused before shutting the door behind him to look back. "...you are sick. Stay in bed alright?" was all he said before he shut the door. He spoke with a cold tone. This made Ponyo feel even worse. She rolled over in her bed and began to cry.

_Ponyo had a nightmare, one that consisted of her being left alone on the beach. She was to meet Sosuke there, and it was a beautiful day. She saw him, and smiled when she began to run to him. Then suddenly he turned away from her. The skies went gray and cold. She would run faster but only to reach him as lightening struck. He was gone. She looked around for him frantically, but only to find herself melting away. Ponyo panicked and went to look for Sosuke again. she spotted him across from the way yet again. She began to run and with each step she took a bit of herself melted away. She got close, and then when she reached for his hand, she burst into water._

Ponyo woke up abruptly, in a puddle of sweat yet again. She would feel around the bed to notice all the wetness again. She was really nervous about this whole sickness when it finally hit her. She remembered when she was young that her mother tell Sosuke that he would always have to love Ponyo, or else she would return to the sea. Ponyo then realized what was happening to her. She was suddenly sick, she was 'sweating' and she was fighting with Sosuke. Ponyo was returning to the sea, she was turning into sea foam...


	5. Day 5-Part 1

[Author's note: Well, it's been a wild ride huh? I hope you all have enjoyed my little spin on grown up Ponyo and Soskue. Thanks for reading!]

[3-20-15 Edit: Yeah, decided to post this of what it is so far to let you guys know I am not dead. Job things and junk, so yeah!]

Sosuke was worried over Ponyo. He had never seen her sick before, at least not like this. It was cute when she had gotten a little cold, or fell asleep on the couch from studying too much...but this time it was different. He felt the need to apologie to her, but what would he even say? It was obvious that SHE didn't want to speak with him, a big hint was the night before where she pulled away from him when he was trying to help her back to bed. He went to school that morning, not even stopping to check on Ponyo or even ask his mother how Ponyo was doing. Admittedly, he wanted to make up with Ponyo the same day they started this fight. He knew that the arguments they have had upset Ponyo greatly. He had tried several times to make up, to say he was sorry about over reacting to her marrige proposal. In all honesty, he always knew he would be together forever with Ponyo and eventually he would take her as his wife...so then why was a fight sparked from her asking about marriage now? Ugh. This whole thing was turning into a mess.

He was getting ready for the dance that night, dressed to his finest outfit. He would go to the kitchen and have his mother finish tying his tie. His father never got around to showing him yet since he works a lot at sea and Sosuke didn't really mind. He would teach him someday.

"Mom, can you tie this for me?" Sosuke asked Lisa, who was doing a few dishes. Lisa turned to him and with a warming smile she wiped her hand clean and walked up to him.

"Sure thing kid..." she started to fix it for him, "...so, you decided to still go to the dance huh?" she asked. Sosuke sighed.

"Yes, I already promised a girl that I would be her date." he stated a bit annoyed. Lisa had somehow knew there was a fight going on and she knew that both Ponyo ans Sosuke were missing each other's company. She had actually nagged him the whole week about making up to Ponyo.

"I see, well I hope you have fun." she said with a small smirk. Sosuke loosened the tie a bit, her passive-aggressive anger was made known with her tight knot. Sosuke stood there, ready to make his case.

"Mom, I haven't made up to her yet...and besides, she is sick. She can barely sit up in bed. I won't force her to go in this condition." Sosuke stated with a heavy sigh. Lisa just went back to her dishes, calmly and collected.

"I didn't say anything son. I hope you have fun with your date tonight while poor Ponyo is in there, sick as a dog." Lisa said as she started washing a plate. Damn, she was really good with the guilt trips. Sosuke was already feeling bad enough without his mother's nagging and silent judgments. If anything this made Sosuke want to go even more. So he did. he went to finish up getting ready in his room, and then he went to walk and pickup his date. Not another word he spoke to his mother OR Ponyo as he left.

~~~~Several hours later~~~~

His whole night mostly a blur. His mind was miles and miles away while his body danced with his date. Kumiko would pap at his chest with a frustrated look on her face.

"Are you even listening to me?" she asked for what felt like the 100th time that night. Sosuke snapped out of his daze and looked to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry." he apologized. Kumiko just sighed.

"Seriously, you haven't even complemented my dress or anything..." she said with a heavy sigh. Soskue looked down in shame. Kumiko would stop dancing and take his hand to gently pull him off the dance floor and to a table. They both sat down and Kumiko leaned in toward him. "You have been distracted all night..." she said to him, as he took a sip of his drink that was sitting on the table.

"I know...I'm sorry." he said again. Kumiko just leaned in a bit closer.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked in a soft voice. Sosuke would look away and think for a while. "...is it about Ponyo?" With this he looked back to her.

"No...well, yes...We...We had a really big fight." he stated a bit hesitant. Kumiko leaned back a bit surprised.

"Really? I never knew you two were the fighting type..." she said a bit in disbelief. Sosuke sighed and rubbed the back of his head out of nerves.

"See she, well she brought up something that I dont really want to talk about, and she keeps trying to bring it up. I want to just leave it alone right now." he stated. Kumiko grinned a bit and then leaned back in.

"What was it about?" she asked, her voice seeping with interest. Sosuke blushed and looked the other way.

"You know, your dress really is nice." he changed the subject, but Kumiko was more clever than she let on.

"Thanks, my mom made it for me." she said, "...now, does your little fight have anything thing to do with your relationship?" she turned the conversation back on subject. Sosuke had shrunk in his chair a bit.

"I don't want to talk about it...it is personal." he stated in a timid voice. Kumiko would just chuckle and lean in more to his shrinking.

"Sosuke, we have been friends for a very long time, and I think it would be best for you to take my advice on this alright?" she began her little speech, Sosuke looking up to her now. "I have also known Ponyo for a long time, and I think that you two are the perfect pair. Sure you two can fight, but it's normal for couples to fight." she smiled a bit. Sosuke began to mess with the him of his shirt.

"Even if that is true, this was...a huge fight. Something I am not sure we will be able to fix." he stated bluntly. Kumiko placed a hand on his shoulder very softly.

"So what? The only way it won't get fixed is if you do not try to fix it." she said. Sosuke stayed quiet for a while, before sitting straight back up.

"...So then what? What do I do?" he asked innocently enough. Kumiko just smiled a bit.

"Go home Sosuke. Go talk to her."


	6. Day 5-Part 2-FINAL

[Author's Note: Sorry if this seems a bit short, and I really have to be in a mood to write fics, so here in my rare inspiration, here is the final chapter! Thanks again for reading!]

He did in fact leave the dance shortly after the encouraging words from his long time friend Kumiko. However, home was not his first stop. In a bit of confusion and mostly fear, he wandered around the town for roughly an hour or so. He took in all of the night lights and people around him. It being a weekend, there were also happy looking couples sprinkled around the town. Sosuke would somewhat flinch and just walk away. He was doing some much needed soul searching. That or he was seriously avoiding going home to Ponyo. He would just walk and look, drinking in all of the scenery. Why was he so scared? He has never once been this scared to go and talk to Ponyo ever. He has always felt a comfort with her that he has never really experienced with someone before. A smile came to his face when he thought of all the late night talks they would have. When they were younger and Sosuke couldn't sleep, Ponyo would always find her way into his room. She would talk with him until he did fall asleep. How did she always know when he needed a good talk? It was as if she had a sense that alerted her when he couldn't sleep. He would chuckle when he also remembered the times they would get caught by his mom or dad late at night and then get punished. That never really stopped her, even in some cases she came back even after she was sent to her room. Sosuke stopped walking to stare at the ocean from the street he was walking on. The moon was high in the sky, kissing the ocean with its soft light. Sosuke also remembered how on that on those nights, very rarely Ponyo would fall asleep first. It would calm him to watch her sleep peacefully. Sosuke would shake off these memories and try to focus on the problem at hand. That is when it occurred to him that the solution was in his nostalgia. Sosuke smiled and decided he would talk to Ponyo the way she would him! He un-tucked his hands out of his pockets excited and began to walk home finally. He suddenly stopped when he realized that he didn't know how to start this conversation. He forced his legs to move forward and rehearsed some small speeches to himself.

"Ponyo, I hope I didn't wake you. I know you are sick but..." he stopped with a sigh and rubbed his hair. "I just want to talk to you while you are sick. Yeah, that's great...Ponyo? Sorry I woke you but we need to talk." he tried again. "...no, her talks never started forced like that...Ponyo," he said in a soft voice "I have to tell you something. This marriage deal is not going to work...damn it." he paused again with a moan of frustration. He took another breath in and started over. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Yeah, that was the way to start it, "I just thought I could...would...would come by to see you for a bit. The dance? Oh, it was not really that fun. Kumiko stepped on my feet a lot." he stopped. Maybe not mention his date? "Anyways...I just wanted to say that...say that..." he rubbed his head more. "I...don't want to get married because..." he noticed his house in the distance and stopped walking. With a heavy sigh he looked to the beach below his home for some emotional support. What he got was something surprising. Someone was walking on the beach, no more like staggering. Sosuke leaned in a bit more to try to make out the figure in the night. As by fate the clouds moved to let the moon light shine on the shadow. Sosuke felt a sudden strike of confusion and worry sink in the bottom of his gut. It was Ponyo, that hair was iconic. "Ponyo?" he asked under his breath as he leaned in more. Questions swirling around his mid came to a sudden crashing stop as he watched Ponyo fall flat down on her face. He could not control himself as he began to walk toward the side of the hill he was on. That is when he noticed where she was heading...the ocean. His worry turned into a glutinous fear that consumed his mind as one thought came slithering into his head. She was going to drown in the ocean. She was going to kill herself. What had he done?! Sosuke thoughtlessly began to run down the hill, calling out her name over and over again. "PONYO, PONYO WAIT!" He blamed himself for this, he pushed this fight too far. Could her sickness be his fault too? He tripped coming down the hill, and came tumbling down the hill faster and faster. He had rolled so fast that he had landed on his arm in a odd way and felt something snap. His clothes were being ripped up and scuffed up. When he finally landed on the softness of the sand, he was in a good deal of pain. None of that mattered now, nothing mattered if he lost Ponyo. He forced himself up to watch as Ponyo's feet had made it to the rolling waved. Panic filled his body with enough force to push himself up, grasp his hurt arm and run towards Ponyo. "PONYO!" His call was more strained that it was before, but onward he went. He didn't have much strength left when his feet punched its way into the shore. Ponyo was about waist deep, time was running out. He fought through the pain and began to run faster. He called her name one last time, but this time she had turned around to look at him with a shocked and scared expression on her face. The waves must have stolen her balance for she began to fall again. Sosuke knew if she fell now, the ocean would take her. He quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back in, wrapping his arms around her waist for support and to protection. Ponyo would speak, her voice sounding on the verge of tears.

"S-Sosuke? What are you doing? You have to let me go!" she said trying her best in her weakened state to wiggle free from his grip. Sosuke pulled her back to the shore, and had pinned her to the sand. His breathing was hard, but his fear and panic now turned to anger and worry.

"Ponyo, what the hell were you thinking?" he asked in a forceful manner. He leaned up enough to look into Ponyo's eyes, and as soon as he saw her pained expression, he softened up. "Ponyo, why?" Ponyo was not sobbing.

"Sosuke, you don't understand..." she began only for Sosuke to interrupt.

"No Ponyo, I don't. I don't know what you would throw your life away like this." he was speaking much like a parent was scalding a child. "I don't want you to do this...I don't want to loose you!" He stated. The words caused for Ponyo's sobbing to ebb, and she gave him a look of genuine confusion.

"No...you don't understand. I...I can't be with you anymore." she started, wanting to explain, but she could feel her body slowly sink into the sand, her feet felt as if the ocean had entered her veins. She knew her time was short, and soon she would be nothing but sea foam. Sosuke didn't like what she was saying. He came face to face with her now.

"Ponyo, I don't want to loose you. Never. You are my...my girl." Ponyo could barely speak, her strength was dwindling down to nothing.

"...your girl? But I thought you didn't want me anymore..." she said, her voice was low and scratchy and very tried sounding. Sosuke grasp her face squarely into his palms and gently held her.

"I do, I have always wanted you. I always will want you." he took a deep breath, the words were now coming together in his mind like a wild puzzle had just been solved. "...earlier in the week, when you wanted to talk about marriage, I didn't want to because...because I wanted to ask you." he stated in a calm yet firm tone. Ponyo looked to him with wide eyes, being mute from the whole situation. "I wanted to ask you when we got older. For God's sake Ponyo we are 15 and 16 years old! We are still in high school. We cannot get married now. I wanted to wait for the right time, the right setting. When we both have our lives together." he paused and inched closer to her face. "I realize now that my life would not ever be together if I lost you. So please...don't throw your life away because of some petty fight. I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry." Sosuke finally confessed to Ponyo his feelings. Ponyo smiled, but began to cry again, closing her eyes.

"Sosuke, why are you telling me this now?" she asked. Sosuke came even closer to whisper to her.

"I love you. I want to have you as my girlfriend, my wife, my everything." he said, coming in for a kiss. He was forceful, but very gentle. With this kiss, Ponyo's broken heart felt whole again. She felt the happiest she had ever felt. She was seconds away from death but was so overwhelmed with joy in her heart.

This was the healing kiss to break the spell over Ponyo. She could feel her body becoming whole again. Her strength was coming back to her, and it no longer felt like the ocean was invading her body. When she could feel her arms again, she automatically roped them around Sosuke's back and kissed him back. They both forgot about everything else for a brief moment and had only each other. After a while, the two pulled away from their healing kiss. Sosuke noticed that there was something different about Ponyo then there was a few moment before. Her cheeks had become their usual rosy red again, her eyes were sparking a mystical gold tin. Her body had seemed to feel fuller than it was. The most important thing was the smile on Ponyo's face. It was that of extreme happiness and love.

"Sosuke, thank you so much for loving me." she said, giggling behind tears. "You once again saved me from myself. I'm sorry I ever doubted you." she spoke. Sosuke smiled also, feeling like the weight that had been building up on him all week had finally been lifted. He leaned up, helping Ponyo as well. When he did, he felt a sharp pain in his arm now and let out a loud yelp. Ponyo took notice as well as look him over. "What?! What happened to you? You look terrible!" she said going to touch his clothes and look over all of the scrapes and cuts. When he tried to remember he looked back to the hill with it's newly installed track complements of his body. He had literally fallen for Ponyo. He would do nothing but laugh and look back to Ponyo.

"Can we just go home and talk in bed? I miss our talks." he stated. Ponyo would of course give him a disapproving look.

"We are going to the hospital." she said, pulling him up by his bad arm. When he yelled again she pulled away in fear. He stood there and rubbed his arm, and then held out his good hand to Ponyo.

"Whatever you say," he said, Ponyo would smile very small and take his hand hesitantly. They did walk to the ER, hand in hand, all the while Ponyo was nagging him for falling down the hill.


End file.
